Sunflower
by terra hotaru
Summary: He was bright and cheerful. His hair was so golden and his pout was adorable. And his name was Roxas. And their meetings were always under the setting sun. AkuRoku. Friendship. For Tsuky-sama on dA
1. The Boy with Golden Locks

This is written for **Tsuky-sama **on dA. Yep. Love ya, daughter! Ooo, go check out her arts! She's amazing. X3 I have her link on my profile under the Muffin giftarts.

Enjoy!

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 1**

**The Boy with Golden Locks**

He was walking along the side of the streets under the stare of the gently setting sun. Taking in a deep breath, he released a deep sigh, letting out all his exhaustion for the day. Just a little more and he would reach the comfort of his home and then… his sweet, sweet bed. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep until the sun went up again the next morning. He really wished that the sun would never rise though… he really had no desire to go to work the next morning. But really, it was merely Monday and he was exhausted already. His work was dull, his boss was an ass, and he had no dates.

He honestly wondered what he was looking forward to in life.

He had given up in relationship early in his life... He tried going out with several girls in college, but they never ended up well—always a break up with all sorts of…reasons. Those girls were nice, of course. However, he couldn't help but feel like relationships were only filling his life with useless dramas. And at that time, concentrating on graduating, he really didn't need any kinds of drama. And thus, he distanced himself from girls. Who knew though… that as he distant himself, people also stayed away from him. Up until now, two years after graduation, he still couldn't find a life partner. His friends were all getting married… And they teased him by saying that "a man's life is a failure without a woman." Yeah…

And hence, the redhead scoffed. Feeling so… secluded from his life. It was not funny anymore. He really should find a girl or two, just to show those bastards who laughed at him. And a pretty one at that… just to give them a taste of what he could achieve. He would! Well, maybe not right away…

He walked on the long way that led to his house, carrying a heavy laptop bag and two plastic bags on his other hand filled with take outs. He had projects that he would need to finish and seriously… he really didn't want to cook and clean up after himself. Just thinking about it was tiresome.

Then, he paused about midway of reaching the gate to his residency area.

His eyes stayed at one place, captured by the presence of a boy there. He was taken aback…what was a boy doing there… so late at night? It was almost eight. Shrugging it off, Axel walked away.

--

Axel was frowning the entire day. Nothing went well and he had more work to be done. He wanted to get home fast to have a hot shower.

But then, he stopped halfway again. The same boy from yesterday… at the same spot. Axel was about to walk away and ignore the kid, but something compelled him to do the opposite.

"Hey…" Axel tried, calling silently. The boy's back was facing him, crouching there at the sideways, hugging his knees. He was seemingly interested in something… either it was the dirt, the bugs, or… the flowers. Wait, boys shouldn't be interested in flowers, right? "Are you okay?" the redhead tapped the boy's shoulder gently.

The boy finally looked up. Those brilliant blue eyes were the first things that captured the redhead's attention… Axel was captivated in those eyes. The boy narrowed his eyes quite a bit. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he said, looking at the redhead with obvious distrust.

"Oh, uhm. I live around here. So, I guess I'm not a stranger?" the redhead tried, honestly worried about the boy's well being. The boy honestly seemed no older than twelve… or ten!

The boy stood up and laughed cheerfully. "You're funny. I'm old enough to think for myself, thanks. Good bye." And he stepped away.

"Huh, what?" Axel frowned, watching as the boy walked away to the other direction. He heaved a soft sigh and took out his key card. After hearing the beep, he opened the door. "Young kids these days…" he muttered and paused. "…that makes me feel like I'm eighty…" and he groaned.

--

Axel bet all his money with confidence that things couldn't get any worse than it was now. His life could be easily described with one word. Miserable.

Type, type, type, file in report, filing data, searching for one single case file in the mountains of files, scanning barcodes, making coffees, buying donuts…honestly, what could get any worse? He hated his job. He hated his life. He couldn't find other job anywhere else. And he was stuck there. Being an undergraduate without much experience certainly didn't help him much.

And then… after a tiring day's work, he had more work to do…and it was take home work. He didn't even get paid overtime for it.

And hence, a very tired and irritated Axel was walking down the same road that led to the residential area. All he wanted was to get home and sleep…but he couldn't even do that. He had to file and hand in the report early morning. He released yet another sigh.

"You seemed tired."

And he yelped, jumping back a bit when he found out that the same boy from yesterday was right in front of him. "Oh, it's you," he let out a breath, still feeling a bit frazzled and startled.

"You have black rings under your eyes." Then, the boy's bright cerulean eyes went down to look at what the redhead was holding. "You must be leading…such unhealthy life."

Axel was drained and irritable. The last thing he wanted was for some ten year old kid to lecture him about healthy life. "Back off, kid."

"Easy there," the blond laughed. Then, he walked passed Axel. "Hang on there, okay?" he asked, kind and gentle and walked away again, leaving the man standing alone.

Axel turned, watching the boy. "..." he smiled. "Thanks," he whispered. Then he stared at the same spot that the boy was looking at the other day and also today… he wondered what he was up to… There were only flowers there anyway…

--

The redhead fell asleep the other night and didn't finish his report. The next morning, he was scolded by his boss and he had to work even more to compensate for his inability. He had drunk eight cups of coffee so far. And it was only noon… he wondered how many cups of coffee he would need in order to stay up the entire night, pulling an all nighter to finish his piling work.

"Evening," the blond greeted when he noticed the redhead walking by. "You're later than usual. And you look even worse compared to yesterday," the boy with golden locks commented, observing the man before him closely.

Axel grunted. "I'm alright… thanks for the concern."

"You don't seem so and you definitely don't sound so." The blond stated bluntly.

"What are you up to?" the redhead questioned.

"The sunflower," the blond answered swiftly, as if it was the most complete answer in the world, smiling contentedly. "Well, I have to go back. I'm glad I decided to wait longer for you. It is nice meeting you. Keep up the good work!" he cheered, patting the man by the shoulder and ran away.

Somehow, this resulted in a smile on the redhead's face. No one had ever said anything about his work before.

And a sunflower?... there was none there.

--

Another busy day and Axel was looking forward to the end of the day. He honestly wanted to get home and get a good entertainment. He had been deprived of it. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to work overtime again that day. But it seemed… he couldn't avoid it. There was another pile of files for him to take home for the day.

"You always come home when the sun is almost set," the blond came up with the most random comment when the redhead was near him.

"Yeah, that's my work hour," Axel answered, stretching a bit. His body was killing him. It felt as if he was dragging a pack of dead meat around as he walked.

"Another tiring day?" the blond questioned, smiling kindly.

Axel shrugged. "What do you think?"

"It's Thursday. The weekend is near."

"Huh?"

"I thought that might cheer you up. Everyone is always looking forward to the two days off of the week. Don't you?"

Axel blinked, then smirked. "No, not really. I have a lot of work to do. I honestly doubt that I'll have any… day offs."

"Even though it's weekend?" the blond frowned.

"Yes."

"But I thought it's everyone's right to…" the blond pouted, seemingly upset.

Axel chuckled. "Well, that's work for ya. I can't really do anything about it."

"You're a nice man."

At that, Axel felt the heat on his face. "Huh?"

"Whoever you're working for must be proud to have you. Just remember to stay healthy okay? I have to go. See you again tomorrow," the blond gave a wave before running away out of sight again.

Axel watched, confused.

--

His workload had finally lessened a bit, but there was still a mountain of work waiting for him to be finished. Axel went home with the weight of the world on his shoulder. It was hard for him to even walk upright. Looks like his weekends would be spent working—and he thought university was hard.

Walking home, he somehow looked forward to seeing the boy again. He wondered what other intriguing subjects the boy would talk about for the day. He wouldn't be meeting the boy again for two days. After all, he wouldn't be out of his house during weekends.

To his disappointment, the boy wasn't there... there was no golden locks boy waiting for him at the usual spot. Then, he felt rather silly for anticipating the boy.

"Hey, sorry!"

It was a very familiar voice and as the redhead turned, he found the same boy running towards him. The boy stopped in front of him, panting.

"Had to take care of something," he said in between his pants.

Axel smiled gently. "It's okay. Calm yourself down a bit first."

"Alright." The blond took in deep breathes and grinned when his breathings were leveled. "So, you seem a little better today."

"You think so?"

"Well, you have a smile on your face. So, I guess," the blond smiled, shrugging, cheerful as ever.

"What are you doing around the area anyway?" Axel questioned again, always curious about what the boy was up to.

The blond simply gave a soft smile. "I'll tell you when you're able to meet me here when the sun's high up."

"I don't really like the sun," the redhead replied calmly, merely saying the truth.

"What? Why?"

"Simply because… well, I can't have more sleep when the sun is up. I really wish the sun won't be up sometimes. I really need more sleep," the redhead groaned in pain, obviously sleep deprived.

"But… the presence of the sun is a blessing," the blond frowned deeply, obviously disagreeing.

"I know," Axel groaned. "But it's tiring to go to work every day," he sighed. "I hate my job."

The blond raised his eyebrows at the comment. "Then, why are you still working there?"

"Because I _have_ to. I have no other choice."

The blond smiled knowingly then. "Choices are always present. It's up to you to seize it. And changes are all around us. So, is it true that you have no other choice? Or is it because you fear change? Anyway, I'll be seeing you around, ok? Bye."

The blond disappeared again in the distance.

Axel was struck, silence.

--

The following Sunday, Axel finally got out of where he was living. He had performed an online research the day before, looking for employments. He found some good ones. Looking up for the location on Google Maps, he wrote resumés and went to submit his applications to several offices. He really hoped that one of them would accept him.

He really didn't know why he suddenly did all that though.

Maybe… he _did_ fear change after all.

He could have searched for another job and do something about his life. But he always lamented and focusing on how much he hated it that he ended up getting stuck with it, never doing anything about it.

--

Monday. Same old, same old. Axel really looked forward to meeting the boy again though. But he didn't know what he wanted to talk about to the boy, really. Come to think, he didn't even know his name… Kids usually like sweets. Maybe…

And so, after work, Axel stopped by at the cake shop near his office. After waiting for about ten minutes in the line, it was finally his turn. He ordered a slice of chocolate cake with mango and strawberry toppings.

And as he had expected, the boy was there. At the usual same spot.

"Hey," Axel smiled gently and the blond mirrored the smile, standing up, facing him.

"You seem to be in a good mood today."

Axel nodded. "This is for you."

"Huh?" The blond tilted his head to the side, watching the small box in the plastic bag curiously. "That… a cake?!" he cheered up immensely, grinning like a little kid.

"Yes. To thank you."

"Huh?" the blond was confused. "I didn't do anything. I shouldn't receive such…"

"It's okay. I bought it for you," the redhead insisted.

The blond looked unsure, but he finally took it. "Thank you," he spoke shyly.

"No, thank _you_. You've got me to realize something. Being afraid of change isn't something that I've ever thought of about…" the redhead spoke, looking up to the sky.

"Oh…"

"It's been two years and this is the job that I got as soon as I graduated. So, I am really grateful. Maybe that's why I never searched for another job, reasoning that I wouldn't be accepted in other places anyway."

"You're a hard worker. I'm sure many would love to employ you," the blond commented. "Look up more to yourself."

Axel laughed richly to the sky. Cars were passing them by and the warm ray of the orange sun was gently touching his face. "You're a funny kid. You have some really encouraging words for a twelve year old."

At that, the blond cringed and frowned. "Wait, what?!"

Axel blinked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"How old did you say I am?"

"Twelve?" Axel spoke, careful and hesitant.

"Twelve year old?!" the blond hissed, obviously irritated. "Well, _excuse _me, old man," he snapped, pouting, stomping one of his foot.

"Whoa, hey. I'm sorry. You just look, you know…"

The blond was biting his lower lip, frowning. "I'm sixteen. And you can call me Roxas."

"Roxas," Axel grinned, trying out the name on his tongue. "I'm Axel. It's nice meeting you."

"Yep, same here," Roxas nodded energetically. "Whoops…"

Axel raised his eyebrows. "Cinderella is going to go again?"

"I am not…!" the blond blushed profusely. He stuck out his tongue and ran away. "Bye, Axel!"

"See you tomorrow," Axel waved, watching as the blond disappeared again from his sight.

"Don't eat too many take outs! Unhealthy!" Roxas shouted back.

The redhead grinned goofily. He took a minute to look at the plastic bag of Chinese take-out he was holding. Then, he shrugged. "Maybe… I'll cook tonight."

He smiled and walked to the direction of his house.

--

That's chapter one for ya. Hope ya enjoyed. Love ya, Syl!

Love.


	2. The Sun is a Blessing

**Dedication: **For **Tsuky-sama** on deviantArt.

Awww, you guys are so sweet! X3 –tears- seriously, you all are too kindddd!!! –tears- Thank you for all the feedbacks! I'm really glad you like how this fic is going. I'm planning on less than 10 chapters. I have some idea of how this will go.

Well, without further ado then!

Enjoy!

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 2**

**The Sun is a Blessing**

Axel always had to wake up early morning in order to get to his office on time. He lived at the other side of the town, thus he had to walk to the bus station for twenty minutes and took the bus for another thirty minutes before he was able to reach his office. It was a long commute. But he didn't mind. Mostly because the rent in the house he was living in was really affordable. It was still really inexpensive when combined with the commuting cost. Living in the City was definitely a lot more expensive and he doubted he would want to spend the extra money just in order to save time.

At the very least, he was very fortunate to be able to find a cheap house in a very nice and peaceful neighborhood after he got his bachelor's degree. He also considered himself to be very lucky to be able to get the lame-ass job he had to suffer through every day. There were some of his friends from University that were still unemployed.

After eating a bowl of corn flakes cereal, he heaved his work bag that was filled with files and a laptop.

Then, he walked out, trudging through the same road that he had to walk through. His eyes lingered on that one spot for a while…the usual spot where Roxas was. He would meet him again when the sun set—when he got home from work. He stretched both of his arms, letting his palms reached the sky. "Alright!" he grinned, feeling rather energetic. The sun was still hiding somewhere, but the sky was already bright. That was the time that Axel had to get the work—before the sun even showed its glory to the City.

It was Tuesday and the sun was finally set. "Roxas," Axel grinned brightly, staring at the blond.

The blond stood up again from where he was—seemingly doing the same thing as before… staring at the dirt? Axel wasn't sure. "Hey, Axel," the boy replied eagerly. "You're extremely bright today. I'm happy for you," he spoke, sweet and sincere.

Axel chuckled awkwardly. There was no way that Axel would say that the person who had kept him in such a good mood was none other than the boy himself. "Yeah, it's… a good day," the redhead felt the soft heat on his cheek, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Ah, I see," the blond grinned then paused. "Hum, I see you're still buying take-outs?" he tilted his head to the side, seemingly unsure, wondering if the stuff inside the plastic bags really were take-outs.

"Oh these? No. I stopped by the market earlier and fetched some groceries," the redhead grinned, opening the plastic bag to show the contents to the boy.

Roxas peeked inside. "Oh! Fresh veggies and carrots! Good for you!"

"Of course!"

The both laughed. It was as if they were friends for years even though they only knew each other for a week.

"Well, that's really nice!" the blond looked up to the sky. His smile wavered slightly as he discovered that the sun was on the verge of disappearing. "Welp..." he smiled.

Axel nodded. "Take good care of yourself on the way home."

"Sure!"

"See you again tomorrow."

"Yep. Bye, Axel!"

"See you, Roxas."

Axel watched again and then walked to his house. Somehow, his eyes were caught on to something before he was walked away from that spot. And there… seemingly the same spot that the blond was always staring at… There were little very sprouts peeking out from the soil.

The redhead raised his eyebrows. "Is he planting something?" he laughed then and walked away.

--

Wednesday marked the third day of the week and that meant…two days more until weekends. He had to go out and hunt for more jobs on Saturday and Sunday since no one contacted him. He was rather disappointed, but he didn't want to give up. He would submit his resumé and apply for positions that would fit his degree until there were no more offices that he hadn't submitted his application yet. That was his determination. He had to find a new job and quit his current one.

His determination was further strengthened with the fact that he had to stay late in the office in order to retrieve that one missing case file. An employee had somehow dropped that one piece of paper _somewhere_. And he had to search for it in the basement of his office.

They found it in the end, but it was already really late.

Axel released a sigh.

The blond must have gone home by the time he arrived at the spot.

And he was right.

Roxas wasn't there…

Figures… the sun had already set.

--

Thursday… and again, Axel had to stay late in the office to help his boss with some things. Apparently, some technical problems had arisen within the system and Axel was the one appointed to take care of it. The redhead had no choice but to comply. And he did and he ended up staying there for one and a half hour.

Another day passed by without having a small talk with Roxas. It was really strange for the redhead that he sincerely wanted to meet the boy. The little conversations they had were really nice. And he laughed at himself. He was friends with a teenager. Him, a twenty five year old man… he wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, he really had to go home early the next day and apologize to the blond.

--

And _finally_, he was really glad that things went his way for once. He was let off early for the help he had contributed for the past two days and was given half day off. He sighed and growled in happiness. They were rather strange expressions of happiness, but it worked for him. After dropping by at the cake shop nearby and bought a slice of cheesecake, he hopped on the bus and headed off, determined to wait for the boy now since the boy was the once that always waited for him.

However, to his astonishment, the blond was already there… Axel took a look at his wristwatch. Five thirty…

"Hey you!" the blond was definitely cheerful and bright and usual, his index finger pointing at the redhead. "You've finally come. It's really rude to keep me waiting for two days and not showing up, you know!" he pouted.

"I know! Sorry!" the redhead grinned, somehow finding the small pout on Roxas' face adorable. "I was kept really late at work. So…"

"It's okay. I'm just teasing you. How are you?"

"I'm getting better. You?"

Roxas nodded. "Good. Always good," and he paused, looking at the bright blue sky. "The sun is high up today," he stretched and opened both of his arms wide, as if embracing the Sun. "It's so warm!" he smiled, content.

Axel turned to look at the direction Roxas was staring. "Yeah…" he agreed.

"Is that sarcasm?" Roxas turned to look at the redhead. His eyes filled with disbelieve, watching closely. "I thought you hated the sun." It was his turn to use sarcasm.

"I do, but only in the morning," the redhead grinned. "I hate waking up early."

"That doesn't mean you can blame the sun for it, you know," Roxas pouted again. "The Sun is a blessing!"

Axel laughed. "I know. You've said already."

"I'm serious! Without the sun… I…" the blond paused awkwardly.

"Huh?" Axel noticed the change of Roxas' expression.

"Without the sun… well, the world wouldn't be so bright!" Roxas reasoned, already back to his normal self.

"There're always the artificial lights, you know."

"It's not the same," the boy argued.

"Ha ha, okay, okay. I'll try my very best to like the sun then."

"Promise?" the blond frowned, face serious.

"Yep," Axel nodded and grinned. "Why not?"

"Good! You've promised!"

There was a nice, comfortable silence between the two before Roxas spoke up again.

"You're back early today."

"Yeah, I am let off early."

"That's really nice."

"I agree. This is actually the longest we've talked, you know. Without you going all Cinderella."

"Shut up!" Roxas nudged the redhead playfully.

Axel laughed. "I'm saying the truth!"

"You know that I'm still a teen, I have to go back home before the sky turns dark. Or I'll be getting all sorts of punishments."

"Ah, strict family, huh?" Axel commented.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad were always so strict," Roxas nodded, looking at the tree across the street.

"That's nice," Axel jokingly ruffled the boy's hair. "You can grow up into a decent teenager then."

"You sound like my Dad!" Roxas laughed richly. "Seriously!" he clutched his stomach, laughing some more.

"Hey! Don't make fun of your elder."

"Now you sound like my grandfather!"

Axel laughed together with the blond, finally.

"How old are you anyway?" Roxas asked, curiosity and eagerness were present in his voice. Cerulean eyes staring deeply into emerald.

"Humm, I don't know. Guess," Axel grinned, being in a playful mood.

Roxas narrowed his eyes, seemingly thinking, putting his right hand on his chin. "Okay… Nineteen?"

"Whoa, do I really look _that_ young?" Axel asked back, excited. "Serious?!"

"… you look like you're on a craze?" Roxas' eyes went wide, not really sure. Then, he laughed, watching as the redhead's expression turned dark. "Okay, okay. You DO look that young," the blond commented then. "But you shouldn't be nineteen, huh? Since you look like an office worker. Hum… I say at least around two-four."

"You're pretty close."

"Two three?"

"Up."

"Ah, Two five. You're twenty five? Wow. I'd never guess," Roxas grinned.

"Yeah… If I'll only live until fifty, I've already lived through half of my life."

"Don't say things like that. There are still a lot ahead of you."

"And there are still a _lot_ more for you, kiddo."

"Yeah, yeah," Roxas dismissed the comment easily. "And by the way. You _are_ old!!!" he teased.

"And you're still such a brat!" Axel spat.

The both laughed happily again. "We should hang out sometimes," Roxas suggested.

"A man and a teenager? Hanging out together? What would people think?" Axel wondered out loud, still grinning like crazy. Hanging out with Roxas wasn't a bad idea at all. He certainly looked forward to spending more time with the boy.

"You're pedophilia?" Roxas provided an answer.

Axel flushed and growled. "Am NOT!"

Roxas laughed. "Why take it so seriously? I'm just kidding."

It was Axel's turn to pout. "Or maybe that you're on rehabilitation because you've been such a bad boy," he tried a comeback.

"Maybe people will think you're my father."

"I'm not that old!"

"_Or_ they would think that we're friends," Roxas smiled, sincere.

Axel paused for a bit. "Yeah…" he whispered.

"Why care so much about what people think? I'm sure they wouldn't notice us anyway."

"I suppose."

"Do you think we're friends?" Roxas wondered out loud.

"I'm sure. Unless you think otherwise."

"Oh no, of course not. It's a pleasure to be your acquaintance. It's really nice talking to you, you know."

Axel watched the blond closely. Shouldn't he be the one saying that? His life had brightened up a lot ever since he got to talk to Roxas.

"It's been so…" the blond dragged the 'o' out, "long," he finished.

"You don't have any friends?"

Roxas dismissed the question with a small laugh. "It's a really beautiful day today," he said as the wind slowly blew on his face.

"It's kinda cold."

"Really?" Roxas questioned.

"Yeah, don't you feel so?"

"I…" the blond shrugged. "Don't feel anything," he released a soft chuckle.

Axel laughed it off. "Really? You must be one of those people who like the cold."

Roxas grinned. "I must be!" he chuckled easily.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Axel spoke, realizing something. "Here's for you." He gave the small plastic bag he was holding on his hand.

"Another cake?" Roxas flushed.

"Yeah, you like cakes, right? I don't know which one you like. But this is tiramisu cheesecake."

"Wow…" the blond whispered breathlessly. "Must be really nice!" he commented.

"Well, it's for you!" Axel laughed.

"No, no… I can't accept such kindness," the blond backed away, shaking his head.

"We're friends. It's not kindness. It's… a simple…" Axel tried to find nice words. "…gesture of friendship," he grinned.

"Don't treat me like a kid!" Roxas laughed. "No means no. You'll only waste it if you give it to me. Trust me on this one."

"Waste? What? I thought you like cakes."

"Of course! I love 'em!" the blond nodded enthusiastically. "But I want _you _to eat it!"

"Huh?!" Axel blinked, eyes wide.

Roxas grinned knowingly. "Look, the sun is about to set again," he spoke.

"That fast?" the redhead frowned.

"Yeah… So, I must say my goodbye then."

"Take care on your way home. Do you want me to walk you back?"

"Nah, it's okay. I can take care of myself."

"Oh, okay," the redhead smiled.

"Thank you for the offer, Axel. You're really nice."

"And thank you to you too."

Roxas smiled. "Good luck on everything! I'm sure you can beat your evil boss or get your way around it! Don't become a panda!" he commented cheerfully in a singsong, running away.

"I'm not!" Axel shouted back, grinning goofily. "Ya know, you're a nice person too," he whispered. "See ya around."

Smiling, he walked the other way, holding the plastic bag with tiramisu cheesecake and a laptop bag on his shoulder. He paused again suddenly, seeing some leaves grew from that sprout he saw last time. He growled. He forgot to ask Roxas about the sprout and what he was up to. He groaned inside. He had also forgotten to force the cheesecake to that little blond…

Seriously, Roxas seemed no more than twelve. He was such a small… teenager. The redhead made a mental note not to voice that thought out in front of the boy. He was sure that he would get a hell from it.

Oh well, there would always be a next time.

They were friends after all.

And Axel looked forward to talking more with the boy, no matter how awkward their age differences were.

He had a good statement to counter that though. And certainly, age didn't matter at all in friendship.

Axel grinned then. "The sun is a blessing," he whispered as he reached the front door to his house. _"Well then, I sincerely look forward to the time the sun is up again tomorrow. I'll be going out apply for more jobs."_

First things first, he _had_ to **eat!** His stomach was growling badly.

No. No take-outs.

--

I hope it's alright. X3 remember, the sun's a blessing. xD lol. I'm one to say. I don't like waking up in the morning. xD but I sure like the sun's warmth though. Lawlz. Okay. Hope you enjoyed.

And again, thank you so much, ya all!!

Love.


	3. Just Your Company

**Dedication: **Yeah, okay. : D the entire fic is dedicated to **Tsuky-sama.**

I have some really bad internet connection going on here. So, I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't be able to reply your lovely reviews until it gets better. I was able to go online to submit though... So yeah. I sincerely apologize.

Enjoy!

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 3**

**Just Your Company...**

More job applications were sent out. And Axel was, needless to say, satisfied with his hard work. However, a heap of files were still waiting for him to finish. So, he took his laptop and lie lazily on the bed, typing in all the data and client information in the spreadsheet that was opened wide before him. He took up his cup and sipped the hot coffee. As the coffee began to re-energize him, he started typing.

He felt like he wanted to talk to someone. Talking to Roxas would be really nice right now. He wondered where the blond was. He wondered what the boy was doing. He would surely love to know. His MSN messenger was Dull, with a capital 'D'. He had a ton of contacts there, but most of them were people from his office and all of them—he had no interest talking to. Some would IM him once in a while, sure, but it was nothing really interesting.

He got distracted for a while as he stared out the huge window of his room. He was just back from the City, delivering his applications. He walked over to his window and opened the curtains, letting the sunlight in. Then, he put his laptop on the desk. Sitting on the comfortable chair, he began working, determined on finishing his job by tomorrow.

--

Monday quickly rolled in. His boss was being an ass again, summoning him into the big room in order to give him a scolding. Axel had made a mistake in one of the reports. The redhead scoffed. He was being scolded for one small mistake, but he was never praised for all the hard work he had done. He was irritable all morning and it got worst in the evening when his boss had specifically scolded him in front of all his co-workers.

And thus, the day ended.

"Hey!" Roxas called out cheerfully, but his smile dropped as soon as he got a better view of the redhead. "There?" he questioned uncertainly. "You don't seem…"

Axel narrowed his eyes dangerously, glaring at the blond.

"…Are you okay?" Roxas inquired, being careful and cautious. The redhead certainly didn't look normal.

"No."

"…Is there anything…"

Axel took in a deep breath. "No, I'll be alright. I just need some time to cool off," he growled, frustrated.

"...it must have been a tough day. I wish you good luck then, Axel," Roxas smiled and rested his hand gently on Axel's shoulder, a gesture of encouragement. "Good..."

"No..." Axel suddenly grabbed the boy's wrist.

"...Axel?" Roxas turned to face the man, his wrist was still in Axel's hand.

Axel's head hung low, not facing the boy. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Cars were speeding by in the road. The trees were rustling, blown by the gentle wind, filling in the emptiness between them. "Stay for a while," the redhead requested.

"Sure," Roxas narrowed his eyes, watching the man closely. He didn't have any intention to say anything, merely waiting for Axel to speak. He released a soft sigh, smiling gently. The grab at his wrist loosened and Roxas retracted his hand, rubbing his reddened wrist. Then, he took Axel's hand in his, squeezing gently.

It was then that Axel realized how cold Roxas' hand was. It was as cold as ice... no, even colder.

"I'm sorry," Roxas chuckled lightly. "I always have such cold hands. Can't offer you any warmth when you need it," he shrugged, trying to make a joke, hoping for Axel to cheer up.

Axel shook his head, finally lifting his head, and grinned. "Thank you," he spoke softly.

"You're very welcome," Roxas nodded.

Their hands were still entwined together.

"I have to..." the blond whispered, hating that he had to go.

"Can I at least walk you home?" Axel tried.

"No, it's okay, really." The blond shook his head and wrestled his hand away while Axel tried to cling on desperately. "We'll meet again," he laughed, ignoring the tension between them. "The sun is almost down, I really have to go. I'm sorry," he bowed slightly. "Bye," and he was gone, vanishing in the dark as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

Axel frowned the slightest bit.

"Thanks," he muttered before walking back to his house.

--

Tuesday and Wednesday went by without meeting Roxas. He was given overtime again. Thursday came in and it was raining when Axel reached the place he lived. He had forgotten to check the weather and thus, he didn't bring any umbrella. He was soaked as he quickly ran, avoiding the rain. And Roxas wasn't there.

No wonder... it was raining anyway.

--

Friday, sunny. But no Roxas—in which Axel became worried, wondering endlessly that may be something had happened to him. He sure hoped not. He absolutely had no ill-wish for his friend.

--

Saturday. Axel finally got a call from an insurance company, telling him to come in on Sunday for an interview. And another phone call came, from an agency company, telling him to also come in the next day for an interview appointment. The redhead was thrilled. He hoped that the interview would go well and that he would be hired soon. He couldn't wait to tell the boy about the news.

And it did go well. He was hired by the insurance company. The pay was a bit lower than his salary at the office he was working at currently, but at this rate, he wouldn't mind as much. The insurance company was also located in the City, which meant that Axel had to commute. But he didn't mind, he had gotten used to commuting anyway. Having submitted his letter to quit his position in his current office, he walked back home, a grin and a smile was plastered on his face. He had to celebrate. He just _had_ to. But he didn't plan on celebrating alone. Certainly not.

However, the blond was nowhere in sight.

--

A week passed by. Axel was slowly getting used to his new job. He had to take care of some files and client information as well as opening new accounts and taking care of payments and deposits from the customers. But it was not a big deal at all. He didn't need to work overtime and he didn't have any take home-work at all. He had some really nice co-workers that would strike jokes once in a while. And at the first day of his work, they created a party to celebrate.

Axel definitely liked his new job.

Two weeks, no blonds, no boys. And the longing of Roxas slowly erased from the redhead's mind. It was as if it went _poof_. It was true that the redhead would always glance at the spot that he and the blond would enjoy small little talks. However, he convinced himself that maybe the blond was busy with school and had no time to hang around in the evening, waiting for him.

They were also slowly entering Fall, meaning that the sun set quicker than in summer. If Roxas' parents had set rules to come home before the sun set, that meant that Axel wouldn't be able to meet the blond even if he had waited for him. By now, every time the redhead went home, the sky was already dark.

On Saturday, Axel finally decided to wait for Roxas at the usual spot. Maybe the blond would somehow be there. He waited from noon, standing there, observing the little natural sight that was presented in front of him. He watched as some people passed by him. Some shopped for groceries in the local supermarket nearby while some were merely strolling along the road.

After around an hour and a half waiting, a teen stopped near him. He stepped away a bit, thinking that maybe he had blocked the lilac haired teen's way. The boy had bangs that concealed half of his face and he was holding a bouquet of sunflower. He closed his eyes and bowed to the sprout that grew there. The sprout had grown ever since, two healthy green leaves could be seen growing out of the stem. Then, the boy stood straight and bent down a little to put the bouquet of sunflower in front of the sprout.

"Excuse me," Axel decided to call. "Did somebody..."

The boy looked Axel all over before answering. "Yes. He's a best friend of mine. Today marks the fifth year of that incident."

"I see, I'm sorry."

"Are you waiting for somebody?" the boy inquired, voice calm and emotionless.

"Yes, he's a friend of mine," Axel answered easily.

"You promised to meet here?"

"Yeah, kinda. He's usually here and I'm waiting for him."

The boy nodded.

"Do you always come here?" Axel asked.

"Yeah, I visit once in a while..."

"Then, maybe you've seen my friend before. He's always hanging out around here. And he's the one that planted that little sprout. It's been a while since I saw him."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. He has golden locks that are swept to the side. His eyes are bright blue, so blue... and his face is so smooth and he's so small. Have you ever seen him around?"

The boy's eyes went wide. Axel watched as the boy's face paled.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I have to go," the boy spoke. "Good day."

"You too."

Axel waited for a bit more, tapping his fingers against his thigh, making some nice rhythms, also tapping his feet, humming silently. He regretted that he forgot to bring his mp3 player or his laptop. However, at the same time, he didn't mind much. Roxas had waited for him everyday without any entertainment. He could do the same and he would.

He gasped when he felt a soft tapping against his back. Immediately turning around, he found a flash of golden bright hair in front of him. He had to tilt his head down in order to see the owner of that spiky hair.

"Oh hey!" he greeted happily, waving his hand in a small gesture, grinning cheerily.

Roxas chuckled. "Oh, I see that someone's _waiting_!" he commented. "Who? A girlfriend?" the blond nudged the redhead playfully, giving a suggestive look.

Axel laughed. "Yeah... a _girlfriend!_" he exclaimed.

"Ooo, _someone_ got lucky!"

The redhead laughed some more. "Yeah, I sure did," he nodded, tilting his head to the side and staring deeply into the pair of cerulean before him.

"Long time no see," the blond spoke, mirroring Axel's expression.

"Yeah, sorry about that," the redhead scratched the back of his neck apologetically.

"I don't mind. So, who exactly are you waiting for?" the blond shrugged.

Axel chuckled. "I'm waiting for you, of course."

"Oh..." the blond hung his head, looking at the redhead quizzically, seemingly going blank. It was then that his cheeks went a slight tint of red. He bit his lower lip, nervous. "Oh? You were?" he raised his eyebrows, eyes wide—so wide that Axel was completely enticed in those brilliant blue.

"Of course."

"...thank you."

"It's quite alright, really. You've been waiting for me all along. This is the least I could do. And I never...really thanked you for all that, did I?" the redhead questioned, feeling guilty.

"Of course you did," Roxas laughed, absolutely amused, finding Axel's behavior really peculiar. "You bought me cakes, remember?"

Axel took in a deep breath. "But you don't really like them, do you?"

"I _love_ them. I love everything about cakes! And I'm not lying," the blond stuck out his tongue childishly, pouting a bit. "I mean, really. I'm _not_ lying!" he frowned then.

"I—I'm not saying that you're lying. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that!" Axel clapped his hand together, bowing and apologizing.

Roxas released a weak smile. "It's okay. I guess I've overreacted," he swallowed, swiping his bangs to the side so that they didn't block his eyes. Then, he stared out to the sun again. "So...how was the cake?" he whispered silently.

"Oh, you mean the Tiramisu cheesecake from the other day?"

The boy nodded.

"It's good." The redhead said simply.

Roxas looked at the redhead and Axel stared back. They blinked a couple of times at one another. Each waiting for the other to say something more. "That's it?" the boy finally frowned, blinking more.

"Heh?"

"That's not it... right?" the blond stared in disbelieve. "C'mon, tell me more about it! Seriously! I wanna know more! Gimme the exact dirty little details."

Axel blushed a bit. "What?"

"You know... the deliciousness, the flavor, the texture... the... everything. Describe it piece by piece and bit by bit to me!" Roxas exclaimed, his eyes glowing in excitement and curiosity.

The redhead blushed again seeing the boy's expression. "Well..." he began slowly, trying to compose his thoughts together. He had never really described things before and it was really difficult for him. "Well...there was a little hint of wine in it. The cheesecake is just perfect, both in texture and in flavor. It's so creamy. And then..."

"And then?"

"Well, I ate it," the man jumped into the immediate ending.

Roxas broke out in a huge laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Using a fork?" Axel added dumb-foundedly. And the two laughed freely together.

"You are so... hopeless!" Roxas commented after his laughter stopped. "Describing wise, of course," he added.

"Yeah. That's what you get from someone with a management slash business B.A."

"Completely understood, sir!" the blond laughed.

They were quiet for a while, watching as the clouds shifted in position and as the sun slowly turned orange behind those clouds.

"What have you been up to?" Axel questioned, curiosity biting him.

Roxas was silent. "Uhm... you know... what other normal students do..."

"School stuff?"

"Yeah. Studying and friends..." the boy shrugged, releasing a deep breath. "What about you?"

"I got a new job. A position in an insurance company."

"Wow, really?" the blond asked, excited.

"Yep!"

"What is it like? Life's good?"

"Of course, it's great! It's a nice and peaceful job."

"That sounds awesome. I'm really happy for you."

"It's all thanks to you, of course. We should go celebrate. I'll treat! You can do whatever you want with my money."

Roxas laughed. "Are you sure? I'm no one but a stranger."

At that, the redhead frowned. "Of course not! You're someone special in my heart! You're the reason that I ever got out of my miserable life at all. And I thought we've agreed that we're friends?"

Roxas paused for a while, looking at the redhead. "Of course," he smiled and nodded then. "Glad that you still think that I'm your friend."

Axel growled, rolling his eyes. "Duh!"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

Axel laughed it off. "So, what do you say? You and me, hang out? I'm more than sure that people would think I'm a teenager if I wear a t-shirt."

"Yeah, I'm more than sure too." Roxas agreed whole-heartedly. "But you know. I can't really. I have exams coming up. And I'm not really allowed out on weekends nowadays. I...barely sneaked out just now."

"...Not even for a little? Someday? Maybe... a day?"

Roxas shook his head.

"A month later?"

The blond shook his head again.

"...well, two months? I can wait, as long as I get to take you somewhere fun and spend sometime together," Axel tried again, not giving up.

And Roxas, again, shook his head. "I'm sorry... I really can't and I'm pretty sure about that. I'm really sorry. I really wanted to though... please don't take this the wrong way."

Axel released a disappointed sigh. "Okay then... just... tell me when you can, okay? As long as you'll eat the cake that I'll buy you? That alright?" the redhead grinned. He sincerely wanted to repay the blond somehow for everything.

"No, Axel. Seriously. I don't need you to buy anything for me. All I want... all I want is for you to just..." he shrugged. "Talk to me. You know... I enjoy your company a lot. It's really enough for me."

"But still..."

Roxas smiled again. "Listen... really. I didn't do anything. It's you... it's really you that have made changes. It's all your decision. So... just merely your presence is enough."

"...Roxas..." the redhead tilted his head to the side, honestly wondering why the blond was so... wise for his age.

"I really like you, Axel. You're really a nice man. Keep it up, okay?"

Axel was simply rendered speechless.

"Okay, gotta go now!" Roxas grinned. "Good bye, Axel."

And the blond... disappeared again under the darkening horizon.

Axel couldn't bring himself to say anything.

--

Not long after the redhead got home, the door bell rang.

He went to fetch the door after drying his hand on the towel. He was cooking in the kitchen, washing the spinach. When he opened the door, he found a young boy... the same lilac haired boy that he met earlier. "Oh hey...?"

The boy didn't say anything.

"What are you doing here? How do you know..."

"I followed you," the boy said simply.

"...what? What are you trying to..." the redhead frowned deeply, alerted.

"I mean no harm. ...you might be interested to take a look at these."

The boy shoved a handful of old newspaper to Axel.

Axel's eyes went wide as he tried to comprehend what it was all about. He was about to receive the papers to get a better look. But he immediately paused as soon as he fully read the first news on top of the pile.

'_A boy found dead, killed in a gunshot.'_

And the picture... it looked exactly the same...

As the boy with golden locks...

His friend...

Roxas.

--

Again, I have to apologize for missing contact or something like that. : D xD but the internet is really really bad. Lawlz. –orz- this is no laughing matter! –srs face is srs!- well, anyway, I'll get back on as soon as I can. Hopefully the internet will be installed as planned here around a week later. As of now, I can't really reply to messages (both on dA and on ffnet) I can read them of course. X3 and I read every single one of them. –evil laugh- yeah! I'd be sure to reply you once I have a decent internet and stuff like that. X3 Thank you so much, everyone!!! (actually I did try to reply to some... but the bad internet got me to broken links/DNS errors which end up erasing the messages I've composed... I knew I should copy and pasted it somewhere. =.= but I've given up. I'll wait until the internet gets better.)

I really appreciate it!

Hope you enjoyed!

Love ya all!


	4. Sunflower

**Dedication: **To **Tsuky-sama** and my **Sister**. My sister is truly the best. X3 Even though she'll never read my fics. xD lawlz. I'll try to force her into it. –evil- yeah. xD

But anyway, from now on, I dedicate all that I write and draw to my sister. X3

**Special Love: **to all who read and reviewed. Thank you!

Enjoy!

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 4**

**Sunflower**

Axel had lost sense of the world. What the hell was that news in front of him?! He stared at the boy in front of him absent-mindedly, looking back and forth between the boy's expression and the paper's content.

"What... what are you trying to say?!" he frowned deeply. Anger and confusion were mixing together, blended together and forming an emotion so strong that he was threatened to break.

"I'm not trying to say anything... it's just..."

"This is Roxas? Roxas...?!" the redhead yelled in disbelieve. "Nonsense! The Roxas I know is _real_! There must be another..."

"The place where you're waiting... that's the same place Roxas died..." the boy swallowed, staring out with his unconcealed eyes sternly.

The redhead took in a deep breath, taking control over his own emotion. He bit his lower lip in frustration. Then, he stepped inside. "...why don't you come in?"

"Alright," the boy nodded, stepping inside the house.

Axel closed the door and locked it, walking ahead of the boy. "Have a seat," he pointed at the black couch set in the living room. "Drink? Soda?"

"It will be fine," the boy replied, placing the papers on the oak table in front of him as he sat down.

Axel nodded and then sat down on the couch across the boy.

There was a thick tension in the atmosphere.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" the redhead asked, confusion and frustration... anguish and agony... rage and fear... all mixed together. His heart was pounding. Roxas...was Roxas fake?

The lilac haired boy took in a slow and deep breath, closing his eyes, letting his head hung low before he began. "Roxas... is a childhood friend of mine. Our parents were best friends. And we would play together every day. He was always such a bright child. Smart and kind, always helpful and always smiling. I really admire all that in him."

Axel waited for the boy to continue.

"His parents were strict and always demanding a lot out of him. But he never complaint a single word to me. He was just... always so happy, minding his own business and everyone else's. He would always go out of his way in order to help those who needed it. ...That one unfortunate day. I remember..." the boy bit the inside of his lips nervously.

He continued. "One day... at school, he suddenly scared me with that look lace with fear. He told me...about someone who would follow him on his way back home. He knew someone was there, but he didn't know who and he would run as fast as he could. ...I told him to tell the adults and we did... but no one listened to us. No one believed us. Saying that Roxas was lying to gain attention."

The boy's voice was becoming shaky. "That was when we were... eleven. Roxas' parents were busy...and we were already old enough to walk home by ourselves. I should have walked home with him that day... but... my parents came to pick me up. We had to go out of town and visit my very sick grandmother. Roxas sent me off with a sweet smile... I never would have thought that that would be the last time I'd see him..."

"The next thing I knew... when we got home... my parents were crying, hugging me... not telling me anything. The next day at school, Roxas wasn't there... it was... strange. Really strange. Roxas would _never_ miss a day of school even if he was sick. No. I know it. Then, not long after... it's really not hard since it was all over the news... I came to know that Roxas died..."

The boy swallowed. "The cause of his death was primarily because of gunshot... but before that, he was tortured... stabbed again and again with a knife. The murder was a serial killer... a maniac who gained pleasure in killing children. That was as much as I gathered. He was caught two years later after he killed thirteen more children. In the end, he was executed. But knowing all that... wouldn't change anything. Roxas was gone... and he would never be back..."

Axel was silenced. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. His throat was dry. It was as if he hadn't drunk water for months. His breath was unleveled...he couldn't breath. His lungs were constricted. How could... how could something like that happened to...someone such as Roxas?

"You know... five years ago... this was Roxas' house. And I lived nearby."

"This is...what?"

"Roxas' house..."

The air was heavy. Axel felt nothing now... only agony...eating away his guts and heart. He inhaled a sharp and shaky breath, looking around the house he had occupied for two years as if that was the first time he'd been there.

"..."

"The unfortunate event happened two months after our new semester. I'm really sorry..."

"It's alright... thank you..." the redhead whispered, not really listening. His brain was a jumble...a mess.

"I don't know... but you said that you've seen, Roxas?" the boy inquired, a hopeful expression on his face.

"...Can you give me some time to think? I apologize... but I need some time alone right now."

"Alright... I'm really sorry. I'll visit again someday. I'll... leave the papers here... Good day, sir..."

Axel stood up, stumbling a bit. It took a bit of an effort to balance himself and stood up right. He sent the boy to the door. "...what's your name?" he inquired, voice hoarse.

"Zexion."

"You can call me Axel."

"Okay... sleep well, Axel."

And Zexion disappeared and vanished in the dark. Axel closed the door, and stood there with the door as his support. Sliding down the wooden door... he raked his hair. His face planted in-between his knees.

--

Axel couldn't sleep all night. He was wide awake. His eyes refused to close and his heart and mind were racing endlessly, never allowing rest. He thrashed on his bed, trying to find a good position...a better position so that he would be able to rest. He had to work tomorrow. And he really needed to sleep. It's almost one o'clock...

He looked around his room as if it was a new place to him.

No wonder he was able to rent the house for a really cheap price. It was a nice, peaceful house, all furnished with two bedrooms. So... that was Roxas' house. Roxas used to live there and now... the boy he knew... his friend... was actually not...real? What kind of bullshit was that? He was convinced that Zexion was trying to pull a prank on him. And he really hoped that the boy would visit him together tomorrow with the blond and they would grin and laugh at him for falling into their pranks. He really hoped so.

But those newspapers... he had looked it over—even reading all of them... every single piece of news that contained Roxas. It was... too real to be fake.

Would those teenagers really go that far in order to pull a prank?

The sprout that was peeking out of the soil... he wondered...

If... if Roxas was really a...ghost...

Why would a ghost plant plants? It didn't make any sense...

Why would... a ghost...help him...?

Axel shook his head. His brain was obviously not working...drained and exhausted, but he couldn't stop thinking. He simply couldn't...stop.

"_The sun is high up today," he stretched and opened both of his arms wide, as if embracing the Sun. "It's so warm!" he smiled, content. "I'm serious! Without the sun… I…" the blond paused awkwardly._

Without the sun?... what would happen to the blond without the sun? Why would... the sun be important... to someone who was already dead? He couldn't understand. It was certainly different from all he had heard in ghosts' stories... didn't story books and fictions said that ghost couldn't come out when the sun was high up...? But Roxas was different... Roxas... couldn only come out when there was sun. He had to rush away when the sun set... What... just what was happening?

"_Yeah, Mom and Dad __**were**__ always so strict," Roxas nodded, looking at the tree across the street. _

Were... Roxas spoke about his parents in past tense... did that mean that his parents had already died? Or was it simply because he was dead that he started referring to them in past tense?...

"_Why care so much about what people think? I'm sure they wouldn't notice us anyway."_

They wouldn't notice us... Now... what did that mean?

Axel wasn't quite sure why... but every single word that came out of Roxas' mouth... his sentences... everything suddenly came back, assaulting his mind with information.

"_Oh no, of course not. It's a pleasure to be your acquaintance. It's really nice talking to you, you know."_

"_You don't have any friends?"_

_Roxas dismissed the question with a small laugh. "It's a really beautiful day today," he said as the wind slowly blew on his face._

Roxas didn't have any friends... if Axel was right... no one could see the boy except him... so... Roxas didn't lie... he really _did _enjoy Axel's company. Because he had no one else to talk to... just like him... Axel too, had no one else to talk to.

"_It's kinda cold."_

"_Really?" Roxas questioned._

"_Yeah, don't you feel so?"_

"_I…" the blond shrugged. "Don't feel anything," he released a soft chuckle._

Roxas was dead... he couldn't feel anything... And Roxas' hands... when he held them... they were as cold as ice...

"_Don't treat me like a kid!" Roxas laughed. "No means no. You'll only waste it if you give it to me. Trust me on this one." _

Why?... Roxas couldn't even eat?...

How could such a nice boy had such... cruel fate?

"Roxas said he's sixteen..." Axel whispered, mumbling into his pillow.

Five years after the murder... Roxas was eleven... now he was sixteen. No wonder the blond looked no older than ten or twelve to him... he was right... Roxas was merely eleven and he doubted the blond aged any after his death.

Axel honestly couldn't decide whether he would ever visit and talk to the blond anymore... after all... it all made sense now... Roxas really _was_ a ghost. He had been talking with a ghost all along... even becoming friends... It all sounded like nothing...but lunatic. Was he going crazy? Just the thought itself.... just the thought of conversing with a ghost was...maniacal. It was insane, crazy!

But...

Did it all mean nothing?... Nothing at all?

Then, all Roxas had told him... It was all lies?

All... lies?

--

Axel woke up at seven in the morning as usual. Having only three hours of sleep, he grunted, gently messaging his forehead in order to feel more awake. He got out of his bed and prepared for work. Just right after he had gotten dressed, the bell to the front door rang. When he opened it, he saw Zexion. "Come on in," the redhead said, still drying his hair with a white towel.

"Am I bothering?"

"Not at all. Gimme a sec. Feel free to sit down," the redhead spoke. "Oh and close and lock the door for me, please. Thanks!" he ascended the stairs to the second floor and entered the bathroom. After he finished grooming his hair, he returned downstairs, carrying his black laptop bag. Leaving the bag at the stairs near the front door, he entered the living room to join Zexion. "Drinks?"

"No, thanks. So...how are you feeling?" the teen asked carefully.

"I'm... alright," the redhead shrugged.

"Is...Roxas alright?"

"I just talked to him yesterday. And he's exactly like you've described. Cheerful and happy," the redhead answered, smiling.

"I see. That's... Roxas," Zexion released a soft chuckle. "I'm really glad to hear that. Would you like to talk to him? Maybe..."

"No, it's okay. It would just hurt so much more. Just tell him that I miss him so much. He's the best...est friend I've ever had. There's no one like him."

"Sure... I can do that."

"Can I go and see your backyard?" the boy inquired, looking around.

"Go ahead," Axel nodded, wondering why anyone would want to see his deserted backyard. Sure, it was a nice place to garden and plant. But he had overall neglected it. He was simply too busy to do any gardening.

Zexion slid the door open, already well acquainted with the structure of the house. "I used to play here all the time with Roxas," he began softly, looking around the deserted backyard. There were only wild grasses there, nothing else. But the presence of the greeneries themselves was comforting. "It's gone."

"What's gone?" Axel raised his eyebrows.

"The sunflowers. There used to be tons of sunflowers here. I'm not kidding. Roxas _loved_ them. He started to have this... obsession over sunflowers when we were in the third grade and he started bugging his parents to plant them. He took care of them. It used to be so beautiful here."

"...There was nothing like that when I moved in."

"When did you move in?"

"Around two years ago."

"I see. This house was three months after Roxas' death. That meant that it was deserted for almost three years before you moved in."

Axel frowned at this. "Hold on a minute... what about Roxas' parents? Where are they?"

"They... died. Plane crash..."

"...I'm sorry..." Axel shook his head in grieve.

"Don't be sorry to me."

"Yeah..."

"I guess the sunflowers wilted because no one took care of them... I should have come here once in a while to..." he paused. Then, he switched the topic. "No one wanted to rent this house... they said that it was cursed since its three inhabitants died. But then, you moved in."

"I really didn't do any background research when I moved in. It's cheap and it's located in a really nice neighborhood... but... I don't think that I would rent it if I knew all that in the beginning."

"Then... your ignorance is a bliss then," the boy commented, tone flat.

Axel chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah... I guess. ...but, sunflowers?"

"Yeah..."

There was silence.

Why sunflowers?

"I've got to go. I have school and it seems that you have to go to work. Thank you, Axel."

"It's...really no problem. I'll be sure to relay your message to Roxas the next time I talk to him."

"So, I see that you're still planning to talk to him... even after you know that he's already dead. To be honest, I can't believe that...you actually talk to... Roxas... a ghost?"

"I can't believe it myself..." Axel shrugged and laughed unnaturally. "But... I don't know... I don't think it's reason enough to stop talking to someone like Roxas...even when I know that he's dead."

"That's good to know. I'm glad Roxas found you."

"..."

"Alright. I'll see you sometimes."

"See you."

--

Why... sunflowers? That was the question that continued to bug Axel all day.

"_Sunflowers."_

He remembered Roxas told him that when he inquired why he was there...

Was Roxas planting sunflowers? Was that it?

But why? He couldn't understand.

Why didn't... Roxas go to heaven like all ghosts were supposed to?

Why would he stay here in order to plant a sunflower?

Did that mean that... Roxas couldn't go to heaven?

--

A week passed by. Axel waited and waited, but Roxas wasn't there... there was no Roxas. What did Roxas said the last time they met?... he said _good bye_... not _see you again_. Or was... Axel merely thinking too much?

--

It was pouring _hard_. The rain was as if trying to sweep everything away with its force. Axel quickly ran home. No...no Roxas. There was no sun... it was the first thought that came across the redhead's mind. He stopped midway.

Staring at that spot.

The... sprout had grown into an arm length.

But... it was wilting...

It was wilting!

Axel's heart was suddenly racing in his chest. He didn't know why. But he felt as if...something bad would happen if the plant died. He knelt down, hugging his bag close and then he frowned.

Driven by instinct, he quickly dug around the ground. He kept digging the soil and gently took the plant out. Then, he quickly ran back home with it, being extra careful.

The flower.... was dying... becoming brown...

Did that mean that Roxas would also...?

Axel hoped he was wrong.

He honestly hoped so.

--

So there, you've basically got your connections. X3 and explanations. I wonder if I miss any crucial points. I really hope not. Please let me know if you find some holes~

On a last note, I feel kinda bad for my readers over at dA. xD haha, I haven't updated chapter 3 up there yet. The internet couldn't stand dA. xD dA takes too long to load. –orz- Not my fault! –runsss-

And of course, your reviews drove me to tears. Thank you, you all. I'm truly glad!

Is the update fast? xDD –shot-

Hope you enjoy.

Love ya all.


	5. A Last Talk

Still the same dedication. :3

**Special Thanks: **to **Insanecat6 **for pointing some things out to my attention. I really appreciate it!

Here we go, chapter 5.

Enjoy

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 5**

**A Last Talk**

The redhead was digging through his backyard. After he had dug a hole big enough for the sunflower with the small hoe that he found lying there, he gently lifted the plant and knelt down, planting it...in his backyard. The rain was pouring down on him, hitting his face, dropping on his head, as if punishing him...or maybe...it was trying to punish Roxas. He gritted his teeth together. The cold was unbearable.

The flower... the flower wasn't okay at all.

What could he do to save it? He honestly had no idea. He needed someone to give him that answer. He had never planted something before... Never. And he had no one to ask. He had...no one. Axel was always all alone to begin with. And now... his new friend's life was threatened. He would do anything to help Roxas. Anything.

He sat down there, hugging his knees close, staring out from his dampened red hair that was plastered all over his well-built face. He swallowed and then, he opened his palms, facing them up to the sky, catching the rain.

There was nothing he could do.

--

There was suddenly a soft thump in front of him and he jolted up, finding the blond right in front of him, also standing under the rain. "Good..." Roxas stopped, a big smile was plastered on his face. "Shucks... I don't know what time it is because of the rain."

Axel looked around. The rain was still pouring, never ending. "It's supposed to be night already. ...wait, you can come out at night?" he frowned.

"Well, this is a special case. I thought I'd break a couple of rules, you know," the blond smiled, tilting his head to the side.

"Special case?... Roxas..."

"You already know, don't you?" the boy cut off the redhead's speech easily, walking forward... walking passed Axel.

Axel gasped, watching as the blond walked right through him.

"I'm...already dead..." Roxas whispered, swallowing, looking to the side, never daring to stare into those emeralds of Axel's.

"I know... and I'm really sorry."

"No. You shouldn't be sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you and hide it all from you... you... should be angered," the blond finally looked up. Fear and agony were swirling in the beautiful blue.

"To be honest, I am angered... but Roxas. You're my friend and you will always be... Maybe...maybe something even more..." the redhead whispered shakily.

Their voices were broken by the rain.

"Maybe something even more..." Roxas repeated those words, shaking his head. Then, he smiled. "The rain...is pouring..."

"Yeah... should we head inside?"

"No... no, it's okay." Roxas smiled. "This place... brings back a lot of memories. A lot... but...everything's different now... mom and dad have already passed on. While I continue to linger here."

"Roxas..." Axel tried to reach out and grabbed Roxas' hand in his. But it passed right through. He couldn't even touch the boy. He was... astonished...

"Too bad!" Roxas chuckled, laughing it off.

"It's not funny..." Axel narrowed his eyes, voice deep.

"I'm sorry... To be honest, the first time you called me... I was surprised..."

"I'm glad I did."

"How long ago was that now? A little bit over two months?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm really glad that things have been going great for you ever since."

Silence.

"There's no...sun today, huh?" the boy whispered.

"It's been dark all day."

"Your hair... it's really beautiful..." Roxas said, admiring Axel's wild red hair. "I think I've never complimented you for it, have I?"

"No," Axel shook his head. Then, he laughed. "It's really hard to groom it as it is, you know."

"I can imagine," the blond chuckled.

"Huh...maybe that's one reason why out of the twenty two applications that I've given out, only two accepted me."

"But your hair is amazing. Don't change it. Promise?"

Axel flushed a bit. "Alright..."

"You remember what I said about the sun?"

"It's a blessing... the sun's... a blessing."

"Do you remember what I said about the sunflower?"

"You never told me..."

"The sunflower is a really peculiar plant. Ever since I was small, I already have an obsession over it. I mean, it's really cool! How the flower would move, facing the direction where the sun is. Always looking up when the sky is bright. Always and always anticipating for the sun. Don't you think it's amazing?"

"..." Axel didn't know what to say. He was mesmerized by Roxas' admiration.

"It is, Axel. You know... it's really rare to find someone... who lived, anticipating something. Most people passed their days doing their routines, minding their own businesses. They even neglected their friends, their families. This world... has changed." The blond took in a deep breath. "The sunflower is always... pursuing the sun. Hoping to someday reach the sun even though they wouldn't be able to."

"Isn't it...merely doing its routine?" Axel questioned.

"It might seem so. But don't you see how proud it is?" the blond pointed. And Axel turned. The plant just now... had turned into a full grown sunflower plant. And the rain stopped. The clouds parted, revealing the sun. Axel watched as the Sunflower turned its head, facing the sun. "It never complaints... and it is always staring forward until it is time for the sunflower and the sun to rest."

"Roxas..."

"I know it sounds weird. But... Sunflowers are really fascinating to me. And it's even... bizarre that after I died... I can only show up when the sun is up... like the sunflower. When the sun sets, the only thing I can do is rest. It's as if... my obsession has become my life. Even so, I'm really not very much similar to a sunflower. I couldn't eat... All of my three senses are dead. I can't feel anything. Even when touching you, I can't feel anything. I can't feel the wind against me... I can't taste. I can't smell. I can only see and hear. I guess... that's part of being a ghost..." he paused. "It's been five years. And this is the first time that the sunflower successfully bloomed. It's beautiful..."

"Five years?"

"I am doomed in this place because I have a wish. I wish to be able to visit the place where I used to live again...but I'm bound in the place that I died, like a plant, unable to move anywhere," the blond explained with a weak smile, looking up to the sun, just as the sunflower did. The soft rays of the sun gently touched his cheeks and nose.

"You know. When you said that I'm lying... the part when I overreacted... I'm sorry..."

"It's not..." Axel shook his head.

"I'm really disappointed... I know that somebody was following me when I was going home from school... but nobody except Zexion believed me. I... I don't think I deserved to die like that," he shook his head in disbelieve. "No one deserves to die like that..."

"I'm really sorry, Roxas..." Axel walked closer, wanting to hug the blond to give encouragement, forgetting that he couldn't touch the boy. He really couldn't imagine how something like that could happen... when Roxas had been going home before the sun set...

Death struck people... in the most bizarre and tragic way.

"You shouldn't be... now..." he continued. "I am here... because of you. Thank you," he bowed his head gently. The smile on his face was the sincerest and sweetest that Axel had ever seen coming out of anyone.

A pang of fear struck straight into Axel's heart. "Does that mean... you'll be leaving?"

Roxas swallowed. "My wish is fulfilled... now I can go to where I belong. Somewhere... up there..." he chuckled and shrugged, pointing his index finger to the sky.

"But..." Axel shook his head.

"Axel... I really enjoyed spending time with you. You're the first person that I could talk to after my death. And you've realized my wish."

"I want you to stay."

There was silence.

"I'm sorry... if only I were alive, Axel. The living and the dead... there are no 'friends' between them... there is not even...'something more'...there should be _nothing_ between them. They shouldn't be connected at all."

"You're just... eleven. How can you say something like that?"

Roxas chuckled. "That's funny. It's true that I died when I was eleven. But I've been spending five years of my time...watching, watching the world, watching the sun, forming my own beliefs. That was all I could do... sit around and _think_... think, think, think until my brain is exhausted. Until it's time for me to rest."

"And that makes you a wise-man?"

"Axel, you're the living part of this world. I'm sure you can get through everything. Hey, if a stranger can get into you so much. I'm sure you'll be fine!" Roxas grinned, slowly disintegrating. He was becoming...see-through.

"Where are you going?!" Axel yelled, desperate.

"Oh, somewhere. You know... Cinderella has to go. It's time. Can't let the prince find out now, right?"

"Roxas!"

"I really really like you, Axel." The blond stepped forward and he leaned up, planting a soft, chaste kiss on Axel's cheek. "Live life to the fullest..." he whispered near Axel's ear.

But Axel couldn't feel anything. But at the same time, he could feel it... he could feel Roxas' feelings and emotions.

Then, Roxas turned around, facing the sun.

Axel was standing behind the blond. The only thing he could see of Roxas was his skinny and small back.

And there, at the backyard... in the green field...

Axel closed his eyes and stared at the sun just as Roxas did.

And he closed his eyes again...

Somehow, even though his eyes were closed, he could see Roxas disintegrating, turning into lights. The sky was turning orange, making the field looked yellow...golden.

"_See you again, Axel..."_

--

Axel jolted wide awake, opening his eyes, he looked around. He had to squint a bit. His pupils were dilated as he slowly adjusted to the darkness. And all he could see was himself, sitting in the middle of the green area of grasses. And right in front of him...was a sunflower, blooming standing proudly there, blooming beautifully.

And it was resting.

Axel growled sadly.

Roxas was...gone.

And he didn't get to say anything before they parted.

He didn't have a chance to show his feelings and emotions.

The rain had stopped.

And the crickets were cricketing.

--

No, this is not the end. The next chapter will be the end. :3 I sure enjoyed writing this fic.

Hope you enjoyed! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up somewhere around today or tomorrow. Prolly tomorrow.

Thank you, my friend!!

Love.


	6. Precious Friend

**Dedication: Tsuky-sama.**

**Special Thanks: Jellybeans-steh, Insanecat6, reddoggie, mei lynn 64, FinalFallenFantasy, ****Sad0-masochisticPyro****, XloneXwriter, Cirque du Lune, The Moon's Willow, **and **The mental patient.**

You're all the reason that this fic gets fast updates. X3

Enjoy!

**Sunflower**

**Chapter 6**

**Precious Friend**

"Look at this, Riku!" A boy said, hyper, grinning happily, showing a book to a silver head boy who was standing beside him. "Sunflower."

"What's this?"

"You don't know? It's a book, written by Axel Doloren."

The silver head boy frowned. "And...who is that?"

"Aww, c'mon, Riku. You _should _know."

"Unfortunately, I don't, Sora. Now, put that book back to the shelves. We have to get started shopping for what we would need for the fall semester. Seriously, Sora, it's your first day in college in three weeks." Riku smirked.

"In _three_ weeks, Riku," the brunet spat childishly. "We can do the shopping some other time!" he pouted. "And, _I_ am buying this book," he blew raspberry.

"Let me see that book." Riku commented, snatching the book from the brunet boy.

"Hey, take good care of it. It's a very famous book!"

"...It's the story of an old man? You're interested in this junk?" Riku frowned some more, handing the book back to his friend.

Sora pouted and glared at the silver head. "This is _not_ junk, Riku!" he yelled.

"Tell me why it's not. Did you even read the author's biography? The man's almost reaching his eighties now."

"You have no respect, Riku. Tell you what. I'll buy this book for you and _you_ have to read it."

"Yeah? Why should I?" Riku asked, mocking.

"If you...say no. I'll never talk to you again, Riku. Good bye," the brunet snarled, walking away.

"Hey!" Riku chased after his friend, grabbing at the smaller boy's shoulder. "I didn't say I won't, alright? Now, gimme that book," he pouted, reading over the summary again. Somehow, he didn't have high hopes for the book's content. He had known Sora for...forever and he knew that one of Sora's traits was that he had fetishes over... childish related subjects. "Okay, alright. You win, So. I'll take you up on the offer."

"That's my Riku!" Sora grinned.

"Aren't you reading?"

"I've been spoiled a lot about it. But I will. You'll get to have the first opportunity. Aren't you honored?"

Riku rolled his eyes, groaning inside. "Oh yes, I sure do," he spoke, not meaning it. "I am seriously honored, mister Sora."

Sora stuck out his tongue again. "You're so obnoxious!" he exclaimed playfully, skipping over to another part of the bookstore.

Riku laughed and followed from behind.

--

Two weeks later, Riku came over to Sora's house, dropping the book in front of the brunet's face.

"Not good?" Sora asked cautiously, preparing himself to get a scolding from his best friend.

"... It's...interesting."

"Oh? ... huh? What was it about?"

"You should read it. Read and finish it and I'll take you somewhere on the weekends."

"Huh?" Sora raised both of his eyebrows, finding it really bizarre that Riku was acting like that.

"Finish it. No buts," Riku spoke sternly and went out of Sora's room, walking out of the brunet's house.

Sora stared at the white book with the word 'Sunflower' written on it and a small picture of a sunflower at the side of the title. Then, he opened the cover page, glancing through... and he began reading.

--

Exactly at midnight, Sora phoned his best friend, sobbing and sniffing. "Rikuuuuu!!!" he whined into the phone.

"Sora," the voice from the other side growled tiredly. "What time is it now?"

The brunet was still sobbing. "Twelve... midnight. Riku, I'm so sad."

"What happened?" the silver head groaned, pushing himself up using his elbows, listening closely into the phone. "...don't tell me... you've been reading the book ever since this noon?"

"And I've finished it. It's so..."

Riku smiled. "So...?"

"Riku, I love you," Sora stated in between his sniffling.

Riku choked and coughed. "What?!"

"I just... I don't wanna end up regretting the same thing that Axel regretted. So, I am now boldly saying that I love you," the brunet said, voice determined.

Riku broke into a fit of laughter. "Sora...Sora..." he grinned even though he was blushing a bit.

"I wonder... what is this Axel person doing now..."

"I actually did some research. Wait until Saturday, I'll tell you all about it. We'll drive to a place, okay?"

"...Okay. What are you up to?"

"We'll see soon enough," Riku chuckled.

--

"Grandpa!"

An old man could be seen sitting in the middle of a green field, overflowing with sunflowers. The grasses were thick and huge, growing wildly but at the same time peacefully in the huge area. Sunflowers could be seen everywhere. _Everywhere_. All the sunflowers were facing at one direction, watching the sun.

"Granpa!" Another voice called.

"Right here," the old man spoke calmly, smiling a bit as he looked up to the side, standing up slowly as he took his cane. His red hair was tied down in a very gentle way. There were some white strands of hair, but the red color still stuck out like sore thumbs.

"Grandpa Axel!" a horde of children went to hug the redhead.

Axel grinned. "Cheerful as always, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Naminé, and..."

"Demyx!" the little Mohawk blond shouted happily.

"Oh, Demyx. It seems your name has escaped my old brain. Sorry."

"Naw, grandpa ain't old!" Demyx grinned goofily.

Axel laughed. "I believe...Eighty is old, Demyx. So, what are you little devils up to?"

"There are a lot of people in the garden!" Naminé shouted.

"Ah, they must be coming to see the sunflower field. Why don't you all go play hide and seek...or something?" the redhead suggested.

"Well, Terra told us to come get you, grandpa."

"C'mon, let's go!" Rikku tugged at Axel's sleeves.

"Okay, okay. Give this old man a break," the redhead grinned, coughing slightly. He was obviously too old to keep up with the energetic children.

--

"Father," Terra, a young man with a calm demeanor, bowed.

"What's up, Terra?" Axel grinned, acting like a teenager.

Terra laughed. "Dad, you really have to start acting wisely."

"It's not my style. You know that, Terra."

"Please sit down, Dad."

"Terra..." Axel grabbed Terra's wrist. "My son... I've talked to my lawyer. After I'm deceased, all this will be yours. I'll trust all of this to you."

"Father...please do not speak of anything like that."

Axel merely smiled, sitting down on the black leather couch. "There... are a lot of people here," the old man looked around, noticing all the people that he had never known by both names or faces before.

"Yes, Dad. It's your Eightieth birthday. And people are coming all over to see your Sunflower field."

"Yes, I don't need to be reminded of that. This old man still has quite a nice memory, Terra." Axel sat comfortably on the couch, closing his eyes.

"There are two teenagers that are interested in meeting you. One of them said that he was deeply moved by your book, Father. Would you like to speak to them?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I'll call them in then."

Sora and Riku looked at each other when they saw Axel. Such a peculiar old man...

"And what are your names?"

"Are you mister Doloren?" Sora questioned curiously.

"Please, just call me Axel. That last name was merely made because those pesky people at the publishing company said that I have to have a last name in order to get a book published," Axel explained.

Riku raised his eyebrows. "I see."

"And you are?"

"Riku."

"So, you two have questions?"

"You really planted all the sunflowers in the backyard all by yourself?" Sora asked excitedly.

"Yes. This house... if you've read the book, then you know."

"I'm really interested in the book! I really do!" the brunet exclaimed.

"I'm glad... I've had several people that questioned whether the story in the book was made up. I'm not surprised. It's really hard to believe, isn't it?"

"..."

"You two seem like best friends."

"We are," Riku smiled.

Axel smiled lightly. "That's really great."

"I...really hope that you'll be able to meet your friend again one day... Roxas..." Sora whispered.

Axel's eyes went wide. "Thank you," he spoke. His wrinkles became more visible as he smiled. "Please, sit down and make yourself at home," he gestured kindly.

--

Axel was once again, sitting on his rocker recliner chair that was set in the middle of the field, feeling the sun's warmth against his face. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply and calmly. It was all perfect. The sunflower, the nature, the warmth, and the heat. He swallowed and released a sigh. How nice it would be if Roxas could see all of these... He wondered what the boy was doing now. Was he reincarnated? Was he doing okay? Did he still remember him?

He smiled then and closed his eyes again.

--

"Father? It's already dark." Terra called out. "Father?" he shook the old man gently. "...father?" his voice became a whisper as he saw that Axel wasn't responding to him.

He went to check the redhead's breathe.

None... the old man was calm and peaceful, not moving, not budging.

--

_It's odd that I'm writing this. Roxas, maybe...somehow you'll be able to read this. Anyway, whether you'll read it or not, this is a letter for you. _

_So, how have you been doing?_

_Are you still the same Roxas that I know?_

_If you ask me back that question, I can say for sure that I'm still the same Axel that you know. But of course, I've changed quite a bit too, I can't deny that. However, I'm pretty sure that my changes are good ones. _

_Ever since your disappearance, I've been slowly working my way to build a really beautiful garden, one that I thought you might be happy to see. A field of sunflower...filled with nothing, but the flower you love. I will tend to the garden with care. I don't care how much time it will take me to do that. But I'm determined. I will at least do something for you. And I will never in my life, modify this house of yours. _

_You know, as I plant the sunflowers, I'm working hard too, building my way up my career path. I changed my job a __**lot**__ of times, and I mean it... so much so that I lost count how many times I have accepted changes and pick my choices for a better life. _

_I am able to start a small company with the little money that I was able to save. And of course, no matter how busy I am, I still tend to the garden. Because, sunflowers reminds me of you. And I can't wait to see your expression when you are able to see the garden. It's still so small, I know. But it's my hard work and I'm sure you'll understand. _

_But, no matter how much I waited... You are not there, not there with me. You must be at somewhere really nice and peaceful now, huh? Well, isn't that nice for you?_

_You left me here alone, you little brat!_

_Haha, just kidding. I'll keep living on and enjoying life. _

_To tell you the truth, I __**did**__ try to find dates and have a relationship. But none worked out well. All they demanded was for me to put more time on them... and I simply can't understand why they would demand that when they knew that I'm busy. I know it's selfish for me to say so..._

_But they just don't understand. _

_Ah well, I guess that's one traits of me that I can't change. And I don't plan to change it. _

_And guess what? As I work my way up. By the age of fifty something... (whoa, my white hairs are starting to build. I still remember how freaked out I am when I noticed that one strand of white hair) I became a multi millionaire. My agency company is very successful. It's all going so well that I don't even have to go to work anymore. And besides, I adopted Terra. He's a stern little boy, so calm and stubborn, quite the opposite of you. But still, you two have the same stubbornness. He took over the company when he was twenty. By that time, I was already sixty..._

_I can't believe how time flies. _

_Oh and your garden. It's... you should really come and see it. Seriously. I can't even describe it... Well, well... that just means that you're right in another thing again. I fail so badly, describing wise. I have a Ph.D for business and marketing now. And I'm planning to maybe go back and have a Ph.D in literature? Just to prove you that you're wrong!_

_Nah, just kidding. I'm too old for that. _

_Somehow, I have the feeling that you will retort me by saying that no age is too old. You really get into me, Roxas._

_I don't feel like studying. This old man is really getting very lazy. _

_I wrote a book, you know. _

_I titled it Sunflower. _

_I gave it to the publishing company and gave them a sum of money for them to publish it. I'm not sure if people will read it and I really don't care. Chances are that some will read them, right? I really want others to know about you. To know about the little boy with golden locks that has effect my life so much. _

_Who knows that it become an international bestseller?_

_I guess rich people have that influence. _

_Or...something like that. _

_Roxas, where are you now? _

_What are you doing?_

_Will I get to talk to you again one day?_

_To be honest, I'm afraid that I will meet you again. Why? I'm pretty sure that you will have a lot to say about what I've done. I've bought the field in the back of the house because the sunflowers had grown so wild that there was not enough room for all of them. And the field ended up stretching far and beyond. I had to hire some gardeners to take care of them for me... It's really not of any help at all that I'm not getting any younger..._

_And...I really wonder what you will say about me not getting married. I adopted a bunch of children. And they're really sweet. _

_There are some parts of life that I have missed. _

_Like...maybe the joy of having friends._

_I don't have a lot of friends, really. But I know I have you. So, I don't really regret that. __**You **__are enough. And I have people that I can trust...Terra, Cloud, Reno... _

_So, look at me now..._

_I'm old and wrinkly and slow. But I can type ultra fast and I'm proud of that. My hand eye coordination is awesome, Roxas. Heh. What do you say about that?_

_So...maybe I'll meet you again someday. _

_Because... that one last time... you said "see you again" instead of "good bye." _

_I have hopes until now, Roxas. _

_I'm sure. _

_We will meet again. _

_Somewhere, someday. _

_And maybe... maybe when that day come, I can hand this letter over to you... just to, you know, get rid of the monstrosity called awkwardness. _

_But of course, with you, there is never an awkward moment. _

_Roxas, I like you._

_You're a person that I'll never forget. _

_So, you'd better not forget me._

--

Axel was walking around the area of white. It was funny how he could walk without his cane. As he walked, he felt that he was getting healthier and healthier and the area was becoming brighter and brighter. He had to squint his eyes a bit in order to block the excess amount of light from entering his eyes.

And then...there was suddenly a bright light...

And there was a huge area of field, surrounded by sunflowers. The sun was shining brightly up in the blue sky.

And Axel grinned.

And he ran.

As he ran and ran, lights started to form all around him. And he was granted back his body when he was still a healthy young man.

The redhead stopped, watching the back of the familiar blond. The small, skinny back. And he smirked.

The figure turned around. He tilted his head to the side and smiled gently.

"Good morning, Axel."

"... Hey there...Roxas."

And the wind was blowing calmly, lifting small leaves up into the sky. The lake at the other side of the field was shimmering under the stare of the sun.

And the two friends... were reunited.

In the field of...

Sunflowers.

--

_**The end. **_

--

Ah, I am seriously so happy that this ends. I hope I did a good job in ending this.

I sure hoped you all enjoyed and didn't... feel like you've wasted your time reading this.

I really appreciate the fact that you have all stayed with me in this fic.

Please feel free to drop any kind of questions to me. : D

Thank you so much!!!

Love.


End file.
